It’s nearly time, M4 or M4CP, personal loan or PCP

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Wills2 said:

Be aware of the updates that happened to the LCI M3 and the M4 (but not LCI) for the 16 plates and onwards, they get better dampers but still have that boosty torque delivery, however many of us had the later firmware flashed that made the power delivery more linear as the car is more driveable that way on a give and take road. Also the older cars cannot be upgraded to the latest firmware should you wish there were loads of istep releases over the period of production as they refined the car.

This is slightly concerning, I’m very close to putting a deposit on the competition pack as it’s the cheapest one by far however I’m worried now, is it bad? I don’t drive like a maniac and I’ll probably never turn traction fully off. Will it be a problem in MDM mode, difficult to drive etc?

Thanks

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nickfrog said:

You'll be fine providing you keep on top of your tread depth in the wet this time

You have to be sensible/smooth with the throttle but ultimately those cars are very tractable unless you're being silly.

Don’t worry, I’ll cherish that car like it’s my baby and I’m still scarred from that night on the M25, don’t exceed 50 when I see tyres displacing a lot of water. I actually educate others too every time I have a passenger!

As for the throttle, definitely, I’m well aware of the horror stories and people writing them off. I’ll take it easy and maybe even get some driving tuition if the car scares me

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I had an interesting conversation today with someone who’s had a few M4’s, he told me I should have gone for the convertible and I said they’re a lot heavier and the sun is hardly out here. He countered and said the extra weight helps traction resulting in them being easier to handle and not as skittish or tail happy.

I never thought of it this way, it’s quite interesting, is there any truth to this?

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The deed is done! Money is paid, just waiting delivery which will be on Monday. I was meant to pick it up today but something happened with work which means I’m stuck. The car is in Glasgow which means no matter how you spin it, it’s a minimum 10 hour return trip from Surrey

I placed a deposit last week and was waiting for the car to be prepped.

I’m psyched and I think I paid a good price.

So, the car is a 2017 (17) LCI M4 Competition in Yas Marina Blue with black leather, options are the following,

HUD
HK Audio
360 Camera - park assist
Speed limit display
Carbon Fibre trim
Enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging (can anyone explain what enhanced Bluetooth is? Can’t find anything online)

The mileage is 32,000, it’s just had the major service, 4 disks and pads changed and 2 brand new Michelin’s.

Total price? 33,995!

I wanted to wait til at least the 12th before I buy, so I can test drive a few and decide between competition pack/non competition pack, convertible or coupe but Ive been studying M4 prices since January and haven’t seen any at that price with that spec. It also benefits with a full BMW warranty which is the most important thing for me.

Here’s a poor quality screenshotted picture from the video










It’s hard to put into words how excited I am to get behind the wheel of this, have wanted to buy one for at least 3 years!

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Wills2 said:

Pioneer said:

Nice. Has it got the touch screen?. Think it changed late 2017 a couple of mths after LCI and became standard. We missed out on ours by a couple of weeks!

Tbh that's no great loss

I was under the understanding the newer idrive introduced in the 66 reg cars had the touch screen. Must have been wrong, not a big deal though.

I actually hate touch screen but wished my C-Class had it as the touch pads and swivel wheel was so crap, I’d actually had rather use touch screen only, that’s saying something! Good job the idrive is brilliant, I had a 65 plate 4 series and while the interior isn’t as glamorous or nice looking as it’s rivals, it was definitely a lot better.

After scouring M4 videos YouTube and finding a night drive POV, I was quite relieved to see the dials are lit up in white instead of the orange on the non M models. There were times, id think im driving a E36 with the orange dials in the 4 series

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Thanks for the kind words everyone, I can’t wait to see what the fuss is about; every person I’ve spoken to has told me they’re very intense and love spinning the rears. I’ve already though of a nickname for it, the Dragon Lady, after the U-2 spy plane that’s allegedly notoriously hard to handle

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Looks amazing and I love the colour!

Speaking of colours, following up from the conversation about them and comp packs, I think the pastel like colours suit the comp packs much more than the non black packs/comp packs, for example, the Yas marina blue, sakhir orange and Austin yellow. They wouldn’t look good at all with chrome grills IMO.

Dream spec for me is a carbon black competition pack with the chrome grills, exhaust, side vents and normal wheels but they don’t exist! I actually haven’t come across any LCI carbon black M4’s since I started looking!

The great thing about San Marino blue is that it looks ace with chrome and de chrome!

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cerb4.5lee said:

Thanks a lot.

Yes and I agree with you that San Marino blue does look good either way which I guess is rare. I couldn't wait to get rid of the chrome on the Mini, but I didn't feel like that with this.

I bet you are getting properly excited about yours.

Ah don’t! Been a nightmare, I managed to arrange delivery on friday (yesterday) instead of Monday (12th) and the salesman called and said they can’t release the car as the previous owner had a private reg and they haven’t received the logbook. It should have been a simple fix of calling DVLA but they’ve only gone on strike for the week! Imagine the odds

Anyways I’ve cancelled the transport for monday and I will be getting the train and driving back; I want to say I’m excited but I feel like something else is going to go wrong and that I’ll have to wait longer

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Picked up the M4 today, wow wow wow wow!!

This is a dragon on wheels, this is ridiculous, I am not ready for a car like this!

First things first, the car terrified me from the moment I past 20 mph because I felt the rear squirm instantly, everything felt on edge and I just couldn’t get on with the DCT and throttle. I set off in it with everything in comfort and I still felt intimidated.

After a 2-3 hours on the M6, I pulled into a service station and when I set off, the car had transformed, not only because I began to understand the DCT and throttle, but the tyres had some heat in them. I accelerated out of the slip road on the sportiest setting and it had great traction and wasn’t anywhere near as squirmy.

HOWEVER, that was driving on a smooth, newly resurfaced slip road. When I got home, I took my brother out in it and it was very edgy but in a good way, it was really fun but very angry. Bear in mind the traction was on the whole time and the back end still slipped out more than a few times. Granted the gearbox was in its sportiest settings however I like the hard changes for the theatre.

The MDM mode won’t be considered for a while!

The car is on Michelin PSS on about 5mm and a few posters said the MP4S’s are best for the rear tyres and PSS for the front, is this recommended? The fronts are brand new PSS’s.

The noise when the valves are open is frankly ridiculous, it’s actually hilarious, especially when you’re creeping in 1st or 2nd

The colour is amazing and a true head turner!

Things I don’t like

The merino leather, I feel like it’s too soft and I found myself slipping out of my position quite often, the leather also seems really delicate. I hated the Dakota leather on my previous 4 series but i felt like it held me better.

The tyre noise! Wow, I’ve owned a Civic Type R on 20 inch wheels with the same tyre profile however I didn’t drive 7 hours from Scotland to Surrey in it, the tyre roar really was punishing and very loud.

That’s about it, I’ve enjoyed it so much I forgot to take a picture of it in the sun! Only remembered to take a photo of it when I got home

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PorkInsider said:

Good to hear you're enjoying it!

Regarding tyre noise, it's more the widths than the diameter (285 rears) but on top of that, there's little sound deadening - check under the bonnet - and, for example, the rear subframe is solidly mounted to the body with no bushes.

Good fun though, aren't they.

Great fun, it’s just perfect, I don’t see how a car can be any better than the M4, yes an RS5 will be quicker off the mark and a C63 might sound better but the personality of the car is just addictive, it’s how I think riding a dragon would be like

The way it looks is also ace, it’s so menacing and I’m in love with the colour

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Just an update, still haven’t had time to properly test the handling however the front end so far seems magical, I’m not sure if it’s the front end or the steering but it just felt absolutely glorious, I went into this big wide roundabout, I was taking the third exit and the car just stuck to the road and there was zero body roll, I hate to say it but this car is wasted on the road.

It also feels very light, I guess it is pretty light but it feels so light and it isn’t the torque that makes it feel light either, it’s so nimble!

I am so excited to discover more of this car!

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Just had a play with a 991 GTS cab, I was gaining on him on the straights, bends I wasn’t as confident as I’ve yet to properly get a feel of the car but my god it’s sweet in the bends, the front end is so fking precise!

That Porsche made a lovely noise but no match for the torque this thing has

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RonaldMcDonaldAteMyCat said:

I know this sounds patronising, but just go steady. Jumping into an unfamiliar 450hp car and racing on the road isn't a recipe for success. IIRC you had a spin in a regular 4 Series on the motorway some time ago. Let that be a bit of a handbrake on your enthusiasm.

Appreciate the advice; that was nearly 4 years ago and I’ve matured a lot since then. I also was taking it easy in the bends as I know these things like to snap the rear out, even with TC on.

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nickfrog said:

Chestrockwell said:

That Porsche made a lovely noise but no match for the torque this thing has

Haven't they got the same amount of torque? Not that it makes much difference as I assume the Porsche is a little more powerful.

Just checked, the 991 Pre facelift GTS makes 440ps and 325 lb ft, at a much higher RPM than the BMW, on a bendy road. The 991.2 would have been a different story being turbocharged

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Just an update

This car is an animal it gets better because the more you learn, the more you discover, I’m confident enough to use the MDM mode and I feel like I’ve extracted an extra amount of performance from the car, the back end just loves to dance; traction is half off and the car is twitching all the way up until third. Even though it is fun, I feel like my 430d TC system and gearbox allowed more fun in the corners, the back end slipped out more gently and it was easier to anticipate, it’s hard to explain but the M4’s back end is quite violent, it could be down to the power but it’s more violent in the dry than the 430d was in the wet in S+. For example, accelerating out of a roundabout.


The tyres though, temperature wise, makes a world of difference when they have heat in them and it’s somewhat confusing, my Civic Type R and 430d BMW behaved the same way when the tyres were hot or cold but the M4 is almost undriveable when the tyres are cold, is it the fact it’s high powered or is it the Michilen PSS tyres?

The piped in noise is becoming annoying, I like driving with the engine S+ and have it configured. Sometimes id be gently accelerating and all this noise is piped into the cabin making a conversation either on the phone or with my girlfriend in the car really loud. I also don’t get to hear the sound the car makes, I know there is a way to turn it off but don’t want to mess around with the electronics of the car, unplugging stuff and what not.

My friend got me a MB world driving experience for Christmas and I’ve been in contact with a friend of a friend who is a racing driver and works there part time. He’s going to give me some tuition, staring off with a free (for me) MB World AMG experience. I’m excited to drive a C63 and see how it compares and I’m also excited to master the art of balance of oversteer. I’m not going to go drifting or driving like an idiot but the car holds itself back even in MDM mode and I’d like to drive it briskly with TC off.

In an unrelated note, a friend of mine just bought an 05 plate 330cd manual and I gave it a razz and it made me miss my E46 and being able to thrash a car without drawing attention or worrying about the speed limit.


All in all, the M4 just keeps exceeding expectations and the attention I get is crazy, everybody just loves the colour

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Wills2 said:

You actually sound like you're going to crash the car soon and a bit over excited, no M car is un-driveable due to "cold" tyres unless there is 4" snow on the ground...

Example of what I mean by un driveable,

I’d be going along a road at behind a car, they’d incidate, slow down and turn left, just me and the open road, I decide to give it a squirt and it would accelerate but just hold back, won’t actually move, just make a load of exhaust noises and the light flickers. When the tyres are warm, in that instance, it would just go.

Or if I’m pulling out of a junction and I wouldn’t even accelerate, it would wheelspin for a second then cut all power, it could be the throttle/engine setting I have however it doesn’t have those problems when I have been driving the car for a while.

I

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RonaldMcDonaldAteMyCat said:

That's because you're being hamfisted with 450hp. It's not like a 430d, because it's not the same as a 430d. It has nearly double the power. The chassis is different. The tyres are different. You need to treat it differently.

I guess you’re right but just to be clear I sold my 430d over 2 years ago so I haven’t been treating it the same, I’m just pointing out how it was easier.

Although I don’t seek validation from anonymous men on a public forum, I just want to be clear that I am extremely sensible with this car and after a month of ownership, I’ve only just started using MDM mode and only to accelerate in a straight line, im going to going to get some tuition and I’m taking this car seriously, I’m not an idiot

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cerb4.5lee said:

SELON said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I've mixed feelings with this. The 330d I had the traction light was always lighting up like a Christmas, yet I never saw it light up once in the 640d I had(more torque than the M4). Whereas for me the M4 is moving around all of the time in MDM mode even in the dry if you use the throttle with any intention. I think if it is raining then the M4 will definitely be left at home!

Efficient mode, in comfort suspension and lazy gearbox and you’re fine.

I agree with the cold tyres point, need to go easy in low temps. But the car is very very capable, even when you think it’s losing traction it sorts itself out.

I've got my M1 button set up with what you've mentioned thanks. M2 is set up with everything sport plus apart from dampers in sport, MDM for traction and the gearbox in the second setting. M2 is great fun but it has surprised me with how much it moves around(in a good way to be fair). I will definitely be taking it easy in the wet for sure though(but then I always have in any car that I've had).

I'm really enjoying the car(I love how punchy the engine feels/although noise wise it probably is a bit on the flat side being fair), but there are certainly times of frustration because you don't get many opportunities to stretch it's legs in normal day to day driving(my Mini was better In that regard because it wasn't all that quick so you didn't feel frustrated if you couldn't open it up).

Both of my M1 and M2 modes have suspension in comfort mode, I’m surprised you have it in sport as it’s just too stiff otherwise

Both have the engine in S+ and the only thing separating them is the steering, I press M2 for the comfort steering for parking/maneuvering only. I feel like the steering moves around too much in comfort mode. That’s one thing I feel like could be better in the M4 but I have nothing decent to compare it to.

Joe Achilles, seems to think the steering is too heavy in comfort mode which confuses me as I feel like I’m comfort mode, it’s too light and moves around too much while you’re driving, I don’t feel like I’m in control!

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cerb4.5lee said:

but there are certainly times of frustration because you don't get many opportunities to stretch it's legs in normal day to day driving(my Mini was better In that regard because it wasn't all that quick so you didn't feel frustrated if you couldn't open it up).

That’s one thing that drives me crazy, my previous car was relatively quick, C300d, 240 bhp, load of torque and my commute home every night is completely different even though it’s the same route, the road just shrinks so much quicker and what you thought was a long straight, turns out to be a very short one because of how much ground the car covers!

Sometimes, when the conditions are right, the tyres are warm and the roads are clear, I really push the car in the bends and the front end is so precise and satisfying, I feel like the car shrinks it just sticks to the ground so well.

I wish I had the time for track days as that’s where the car belongs, I crave the buzz of pushing it however it isn’t an option for me at the moment.

Driving a Porsche GT3 on the road really must be really frustrating!

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cerb4.5lee said:

This is definitely one of my main criticisms of the M4, and I agree with you that even a long straight soon becomes a short straight because you catch another car up really quickly. I feel like I'm down on the brakes as soon as I open the car up, which is a touch annoying.

I genuinely don't know how people get on with cars with 600bhp, because I'd be tearing my hair out because you surely can hardly ever use that power on the road. You are almost better off just sitting back and relaxing...but that defeats the object of a performance car though I reckon.

This brings the argument back to...are you better having a car that you can use all it's power for most of the time, versus having a car that you can hardly ever use it's power on the road. I guess that it is nice to know the power is there if you need it though.

After the weather, warm roads and hot tyres, the performance is becoming more accessible and the way it pulls so hard to the redline is intoxicating, yes you’re on the brakes immediately but that power and torque on offer is immense, the car is a fking weapon, I can’t get over how much better it is when the roads are warm

Initially I complained and said the car was too powerful for the road but only because it’s been so cold all the time, the car would be squirming around through the rev range and would only hook up to the road past 60 mph and even then it was sketchy but now it’s a different story.

It is too quick for the road but those short bursts of acceleration are exhilarating.

The attention I get also is crazy, a true head turner, probably down to the colour but it’s a huge amount of car for 34,000, it has the lot!

There is still an extra amount of performance I haven’t unlocked yet but that means turning DSC off which I still won’t do. In first gear MDM mode it hooks up well with minimal wheel spin until you’re past 5k rpm and you can feel TC kicking in but by the time you’re into second, it feels like a bullet.

My brother picks up his new mk8 Golf R tomorrow and I can’t wait to see how that compares